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Iase
The Iase are a NPC race that appeared in Ad Astras 2, 4, and 5, and will feature in the Suns of Orion setting. The Iase are the oldest extant civilization in the galaxy, with proof of their existence stretching back nearly a million years. Of course, the fact that they have no centralized civilization, and exist in small clannish family groupings scattered over hundreds of light years of space means that few realize the awesome age of their collective social consciousness. The Iase have fundamentally expanded through the galaxy the 'old-fashioned' way. Arriving to technology during a relative 'quiet' period in local galactic history, their original homeworld is completely unknown. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, some faction of their civilization adapted themselves to an existence in microgravity and set out in hundreds of modified asteriod habitats. Traveling at sublight velocities, they scattered themselves throughout what is now known as Civilized Space. During the near-mythical period known as the Golden Age, the Iase gained access to hyperspace technology, but due to a combination of factors-the fact that they'd been adapted for thousands of years to a zero-gravity environment, the location of their original homeworld was lost, and their preference to remain with their small family groupings, meant that they didn't adapt the same wide range of technology that would eventually fail during the Collapse. They suffered, certainly, during that Dark Period, but the cut-off of interstellar commerce and trade did not cripple the independent asteriod settlements nearly as badly as the various inhabited worlds of the Old Civilizations. Some certainly failed in that period, as occasionally abandoned Iase colony asteriods are discovered, but certainly a large percentage of their civilization remained as intact as could be expected under the circumstances. Unfortunately for Galactic historians, the Iase weren't particularly interested in keeping records. While certainly some information was available in the Iase computer banks after the Reconnect period begun, and much of what many of the Old Civilizations, aside from the Sorensians and Herclux, know about that period comes from Iase computer cores, the majority of the Iase Collectives simply didn't care about much more than basic cultural and historical data on the neighboring civilizations. Since the Reconnect, many of the Collectives have taken an interest in serving as the 'grease' that smooths interstellar trade. Their stable, trustworthy nature means they serve as ideal middlemen in many issues of interstellar commerce and diplomacy, and the fact that their physiology is completely adapted to zero-gravity means they literally have no significant territorial ambitions-they can't survive on the surface of a standard habitable planet without massive technological aid, and culturally, don't want to, certainly also assists in their assumption of this role in galactic society. Iase Society and Physiology Iase 'Collectives'-the origin of the specific term is lost to history-vary widely in many details, from size to their apparent technolgical level to their population. Generally, however, a Collective is centered on an asteriod several kilometers across, with an array of sublight engines under the crust. Every Iase Collective encountered has variable gravity control installed, allowing the Iase to remain comfortable in a microgravity environment even as guests and traders can have more of a 'push' in their areas of the Collective. The Iase typically have a shipyard facility attached or within the asteriod complex, which they use both to maintain their own vessels and to produce small vessels for sale. They are experts in building small craft in zero-gravity conditions, for obvious reasons, and though widely varying in tech levels depending on the Collective in question, all have the same high quality in production. Many well-to-do free traders and merchants pay top dollar for Iase-built Free Traders, and on more than one occasion one government or another has contracted with one of the larger Collectives for a limited production run. Iase personal names vary widely from Collective to Collective. There is, after thousands of years of cultural diffusion, no set 'Iase' naming conventions. Linguistically, the Iase normally have a dialect of their original language for internal use within the collective, which may or may not be comphrensible to Iase of other Collectives. They have a trade pigdin that is easily spoken, not only by Iase, but by the majority of species in Civilized Space. Additionally, the Iase vocal chord and mouth are extremely flexible and able to handle the majority of spoken languages in Civilized Space. Physically, the Iase are completely adapated to life in microgravity. Vaguely resembling hairless ferrets, the Iase are dexterous with all four of their long, lankey limbs, all of which possess manipulative fingers. This is commonly seen as the most overt example of their adaptation to microgravity, but significant changes to their circulatory, digestive, and hormonal systems were also made in that far-off time of exodus from their homeworld. Typically covered in a lightweight utlitarian jumpsuit that leaves all four 'hands' free to manipulate, the suits sport a number of pockets and adaptations to deal with sudden pressure loss. The Iase in Suns of Orion The Iase can serve as a useful 'go-between' in many diplomatic and economic situations, especially when Victory Station is inapropriate or inconvienent for such meetings. The Iase are also potentially a source of intelligence. Their very nature and the far-flung network of tachyon relays and trade ships that keeps the majority of the Collectives in touch with one another means that they generally get their hands on all sorts of potentially useful information. The problem for espionage, of course, is that if it's not relevant to some Iase purpose, it's probably going to get forgotten. The Iase honor their treaties and deals very well, and will not betray the confidence of a client. However, they gather tons of incidental information a player might find useful, and they'll even try and gather it. For a price. The general feeling they have is that of Space Gypsies, with the comparison of the Jews in Europe during the 15th-18th centuries-they may not always be terribly liked, in fact certain empires have actively chased them out of their space at times, but they're generally too useful to get rid of. The species that have allowed them to flourish in their territory-Humanity and the Peregrines two immediate examples-have benefited far more than they've suffered from the experience. Right now, I'd like people to just gradually incorporate them into the background. Those of you who've run intelligence operations, some of the 'background' information and chatter from 'free traders' would've come from the Iase. If you've got a major trading partner that's several sectors away, chances are one of the waypoints your freighters use to move between Empires is an Iase Collective. Some of your more well-to-do civilians may have access to an Iase pleasure cruiser or fast courier. Further interactions with the Iase-incorporating them into your diplomatic and espionage efforts, and perhaps purchasing goods from them-will begin to be available when I return from vacation. Keep in mind, however, how likely it is your people have established useful relations with an Iase enclave. If you're an xenophobic race that shuns all sorts of external contact, you're less likely to have access to a nearby Collective for such things than if you're an inclusive open society that encourages trade. Of course, there are Iase in certain neutral spots that will pretty much sell anything they can for the right price. If you can find them. Category:Race